Container



March .30, 1943. E w, BQQHEL-D 2,315,105

Filed May 2, 1940 iatented Mar. 30, 194-3 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Application May 2, 1940, Serial No. 332,330

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a container or receptacle for apples or similar fruit, and is concerned with producing such receptacle from paper board stock and equipping it at its corners with vertical posts adapted to sustain the weight of apples or the like in a receptacle or a number of them when placed in a stack one above the other.

Further, the container structure is reinforced and strengthened around the upper edge portions of the open top thereof, and such reinforcement at its end is continued as retaining means for holding the corner posts in place when the receptacle is empty, and maintaining such posts in such position. The invention may be understood from the following description and accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the'receptacle of my invention, the cover which may be used therewith being removed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through one side thereof looking against one of the corner posts, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one corner of the receptacle.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

In the construction a receptacle having parallel sides I connected by other parallel vertical sides or ends 2 may be made from a single sheet of paper material, the end portions of the sheet material being brought together and stapled as shown in Fig. 1, as is common practice. The bottom of the receptacle is provided by flaps 3 turned inwardly from the lower edges of the sides and ends I and 2, the flaps from the sides I preferably being wide enough to come into substantial engagement with each other while those from the ends 2 lie thereover and need not come together, but the space between them may be filled with a filler as indicated at 4 in Fig. 1. This construction so far as described is not in itself new but is specifically disclosed as an environment in which my invention may be used.

At the vertical corners of the receptacle, vertical posts 5 triangular in cross section are located as shown. These posts are of wood or similar material. The upper edges of the sides I and ends 2 are reinforced by integrally connected reinforcing strips 6 of the paper board material used which are return-bent as at l to lie within the upper edge portions of said sides and ends of the receptacle and are stapled thereto. Said reinforcing strips extend between the vertical edges of the corner posts. At each end each reinforcing strip 6 is provided with an integral extension 8 which is bendable inwardly to come within the inner side of a post 5 so that each post at its upper end is embraced by two of the extensions 8 which come together substantially at their vertical edges. The posts are thereby held in a sufficiently secure relation to the receptacle that they will not normally come out of the corners of the container. 'Of course when the container is filled with apples or the like the apples will bear against the inner sides of the posts and hold them in place.

A container or receptacle of the character described when filled with fruit such as apples or the like, may be closed by a cover 9 of paper stock which has downwardly extending flanges 10 at its edges preferably return-bent back upon themselves for strength and reinforcement, as shown in Fig. 2. In the transportation of fruit such as apples, it is substantially a universal practice to stack the holding receptacles in which the apples are placed, one above the other, in

'vertical series in railroad cars, trucks or the like.

The posts 5 sustain the weight and maintain the sides and ends of the container against buckling, which if it occurred, would be seriously detrimental to apples or other fruit which was being shipped. As shown, the ends 2 may be provided with hand-hole openings immediately below the reinforced upper edge portion of said ends.

The construction described is light in weight and has ample strength to serve the purposes for which it is to be used, without damage to the apples which may be shipped therein. Containers or shipping receptacles for fruit in general, are used once only for such purpose and for this reason among others, such shipping receptacles must be very economically produced. With my invention there is economy in production combined with ample strength and rigidity. The reinforcing of the upper edge portions of the receptacle insures against breaking or rupture of the sides and provides ample strength so that a container filled with apples may be lifted by engaging the hand-holes shown.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A receptacle having substantially vertical sides, said receptacle being polygonal in cross sections, and having a plurality of corners and also having a bottom closing the lower end thereof, a corner post located within the receptacle at each corner thereof, reinforcing means comprising a strip at the upper edge of each side of the receptacle return-bent to extend downwardly and inwardly at the inner side of and connected to each side of the receptacle, said strips extending between the corner posts, and each of said strips at each end having extensions inwardly bent to bear against and extend partly across the inner sides of associated corner posts, as specified.

2. A receptacle of polygonal outline having a plurality of upwardly extending sides connected together-fat corners of the receptacle, posts one 10 located within and at each corner of the receptacle, reinforcing strips connected at the inner sides of the receptacle extending between corner posts and each of said reinforcing strips at each end having an extension bent inwardly and passing part way across the inner side of associated corner posts and lying against the inner sides thereof.

EMMON S W. BON'FIELD. 

